Category Archives: Central Park

When I passed by the tennis courts on Sunday morning, I could see that there were no nets or lines down yet. With rain predicted for later this week, it seems like we are at least a few weeks away from having an Opening Day on the Hartru.

It started snowing around 10am but by 12pm it had stopped cold. No pun intended. Looks like an inch or less but there is still the prospect of some afternoon snow. Take a look at these photos taken early this morning in Central Park near West 100th street on Manhattan’s upper west side.

There are so many parts of our iconic Manhattan park that I feel could qualify as my favorite. I think it depends on the time of the year. The Harlem Meer, The Great Lawn, Sheep meadow, Literary Walk… What about the winter in Wollman or Lasker rink for ice skating? Or the center of the park, The Bethesda fountain? The tennis courts? I think it would be hard to pick just one. Which would be your favorite?

Is the Secret Garden aka the Conservatory Garden on 5th ave and 103rd street the best place to see the Fall colors? It’s definitely worth a visit and now is the time to go. You can enter the garden through 5th avenue or inside the park as well.

On Manhattan’s upper west side, the oasis well known to the tennis fanatic as the Central Park tennis center, is set to close November 20th. But wait…There is talk of an extension. Stay tuned or just check in with the tennis center to see if in fact you only have 11 more days to play outside on one of the 26 Har tru tennis courts mid park at 94th street.

As we get deeper into the Fall season, more and more of Autumn’s colors are on display in Central Park. On Manhattan’s upper west side at west 100th street there is a “lake” aka the pool which is ideal place to view the colorful show that was once described as fireworks in slow motion. Here is an appetizer of what is to come.

One of the few areas of Central Park that has not seen restoration in the last 30 years will be received a $5 million face lift thanks to the Central Park Conservancy. The Meadow area which is mostly dirt on the way to the Reservoir near the 86th street entrance will get some new grass and sidewalk improvements as well to make the area around and to the Reservoir more accessible to people with disabilities.

NYC swimming pools are open and Brick Underground has a comprehensive guide that they have published. Lasker Pool in Central Park is worth mentioning and is an Olympic size pool with lots of space though the morning session is a little more tranquil than the afternoon. One of the best tips is that the water is very cold and best on a very hot day. Read their full post to learn about the most recent renovated pool in the system as well as what to bring with you and what not to bring.

For those of you bringing the little ones, Lasker makes you leave the strollers outside but will let you bring car seats in. There is an area for the littlest little ones with fountains as the general pool can be a little raucous at times. Also the water in that area is a little warmer. Happy Summer!

Central Park has so many places to enjoy and seek refuge from a hot summer day. One of my favorite nooks of the park is the pool at West 100 street. It’s an area where you can see owners walk their dogs, ducks swimming, and even the occasional stray turtle planting their eggs. One of the advantages of this section is while it does swell up with picnickers on the weekend, it is nowhere near as crowded as sections closer to Midtown. That’s right Strawberry Fields, I am talking to you.